#1 of 27 #1 movie of October 1990
1990 · Action, Adventure
$58M worldwide · 23% of the chart's total
$46M US & Canada · 79% $11.9M elsewhere · 21%
Box office · October 1990
October 1990 Box Office: The Highest-Grossing October Releases
Marked for Death (1990) is the highest-grossing movie released in October 1990, with $58M worldwide, ahead of Memphis Belle (1990) at $27.4M and Henry & June (1990) at $23.5M. 27 films released in October 1990 report a worldwide gross, $248.9M in all, 90% of it from the US & Canada. That is up 28% on September 1990, whose releases took $194.9M. By genre, Drama leads with $198.8M across 19 releases.
- October 1990 releases with a gross
- 27
- combined worldwide
- $248.9M
- Marked for Death (1990), the #1
- $58M
- vs September 1990
- +28%
#1 of 27 Top 5
What Were the Biggest Hits of October 1990?
Marked for Death (1990) leads with $58M, 23% of the total. The top 5 together took $147.8M, 59% of what all 27 films earned. Each bar splits a film's gross into the US & Canada and the rest of the world.
- Number 1
-
Number 2 -
Number 3 -
Number 4 -
Number 5
US & Canada (domestic) Rest of the world
The chart
Every Release of October 1990, Ranked by Worldwide Gross
Lifetime worldwide grosses in US dollars, not adjusted for inflation; domestic means the US & Canada. Films are grouped by their release date in October 1990.
- 1 Oct 5, 1990 US and Canada: $46M Rest of the world: $11.9M Worldwide: $58M
- 2 Oct 12, 1990 US and Canada: $27.4M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $27.4M
- 3 Oct 5, 1990 US and Canada: $11.6M Rest of the world: $11.9M Worldwide: $23.5M
- 4 Oct 19, 1990 US and Canada: $21.4M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $21.4M
- 5 Oct 19, 1990 US and Canada: $17.5M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $17.5M
- 6
Oct 19, 1990 US and Canada: $15.7M Rest of the world: $38.8K Worldwide: $15.8M - 7
Oct 17, 1990 US and Canada: $15.4M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $15.4M - 8
Oct 12, 1990 US and Canada: $15.4M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $15.4M - 9
Oct 3, 1990 US and Canada: $15.1M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $15.1M - 10
Oct 26, 1990 US and Canada: $11.6M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $11.6M - 11
Oct 19, 1990 US and Canada: $5.8M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $5.8M - 12
Oct 5, 1990 US and Canada: $5.1M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $5.1M - 13
Oct 12, 1990 US and Canada: $4M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $4M - 14
Oct 5, 1990 US and Canada: $2.7M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $2.7M - 15
Oct 25, 1990 US and Canada: $2.1M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $2.1M - 16
Oct 26, 1990 US and Canada: $1.5M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $1.5M - 17
Oct 12, 1990 US and Canada: $1.3M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $1.3M - 18
Oct 12, 1990 US and Canada: $1.3M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $1.3M - 19
Oct 3, 1990 US and Canada: $1.2M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $1.2M - 20
Oct 4, 1990 US and Canada: $1.1M Rest of the world: $1.4K Worldwide: $1.1M - 21
Oct 3, 1990 US and Canada: $776.7K Rest of the world: Worldwide: $776.7K - 22
Dragon Ball Z: Bardock - The Father of Goku (1990)Oct 17, 1990 US and Canada: $270.4K Rest of the world: Worldwide: $270.4K
Oct 17, 1990 · Japanese · Sci-Fi, Animation $270.4K worldwide - 23
Dragon Ball Z: Bardock - The Father of Goku (1990)Oct 17, 1990 US and Canada: $270.4K Rest of the world: Worldwide: $270.4K Oct 17, 1990 · Japanese · Sci-Fi, Animation $270.4K worldwide - 24
Oct 6, 1990 US and Canada: $215.5K Rest of the world: Worldwide: $215.5K - 25
Oct 1, 1990 US and Canada: $139.2K Rest of the world: Worldwide: $139.2K - 26
Oct 12, 1990 US and Canada: $52.3K Rest of the world: Worldwide: $52.3K - 27
Oct 12, 1990 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $1.1K
US & Canada vs the world
Where Did the Money Come From in October 1990?
Of the top 10, Memphis Belle (1990) earned the biggest share at home (100% in the US & Canada), while Henry & June (1990) made 51% of its gross abroad. Across all 27 films, $225M (90%) came from the US & Canada.
- 1 Marked for Death (1990) $58M $46M US & Canada · 79% $11.9M elsewhere · 21%
- 2 Memphis Belle (1990) $27.4M $27.4M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 3 Henry & June (1990) $23.5M $11.6M US & Canada · 49% $11.9M elsewhere · 51%
- 4 Quigley Down Under (1990) $21.4M $21.4M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 5 White Palace (1990) $17.5M $17.5M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 6 Avalon (1990) $15.8M $15.7M US & Canada · 100% $38.8K elsewhere · <1%
- 7 Reversal of Fortune (1990) $15.4M $15.4M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 8 Mr. Destiny (1990) $15.4M $15.4M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 9 Shipwrecked (1990) $15.1M $15.1M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 10 Graveyard Shift (1990) $11.6M $11.6M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
Gross bands
How Many October 1990 Releases Crossed $100 Million?
None of the 27 films reached $100M. 17 films, 63% of the list, earned under $10M. Each band shows its films and its share of the $248.9M total.
89% 11%
- $1B or more 0 films, 0% of the list No films
- $500M to $1B 0 films, 0% of the list No films
- $100M to $500M 0 films, 0% of the list No films
- $10M to $100M 10 films, 37% of the list $221.1M · 89% of the gross
- Under $10M 17 films, 63% of the list $27.8M · 11% of the gross
By release week
Which Week of October 1990 Had the Biggest Releases?
Films released in week 40 (Sep 30–Oct 6) took $107.8M, led by Marked for Death (1990). Each column links to that week's chart; weeks are Sunday to Saturday.
- Week 40 Wk 40 Sep 30–Oct 6 Marked for Death (1990) $107.8M Marked for Death (1990)
- Week 41 Wk 41 Oct 7–13 Memphis Belle (1990) $49.5M Memphis Belle (1990)
- Week 42 Wk 42 Oct 14–20 Quigley Down Under (1990) $76.5M Quigley Down Under (1990)
- Week 43 Wk 43 Oct 21–27 Graveyard Shift (1990) $15.1M Graveyard Shift (1990)
- Week 44 Wk 44 Oct 28–Nov 3 No reported grosses – No reported grosses
Earlier years
How Does October 1990 Compare With October in Earlier Years?
Of these 10 years, October 1989 earned the most: $471.8M from 28 films, led by Look Who's Talking (1989). October 1990 took $248.9M.
| Month | Films | Worldwide | Change | Biggest film |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| October 1981 15 films | 15 | $96.6M | – | The French Lieutenant's Woman (1981) $26.9M |
| October 1982 15 films · +93% | 15 | $186.6M | +93% | First Blood (1982) $125.2M |
| October 1983 10 films · −2% | 10 | $181.9M | −2% | Never Say Never Again (1983) $55.4M |
| October 1984 23 films · +21% | 23 | $221M | +21% | The Terminator (1984) $78.4M |
| October 1985 14 films · −28% | 14 | $158.7M | −28% | Commando (1985) $57.5M |
| October 1986 18 films · +53% | 18 | $242.4M | +53% | The Color of Money (1986) $52.3M |
| October 1987 28 films · −32% | 28 | $165.1M | −32% | Like Father Like Son (1987) $34.4M |
| October 1988 26 films · −2% | 26 | $161.6M | −2% | Alien Nation (1988) $32.2M |
| October 1989 28 films · +192% | 28 | $471.8M | +192% | Look Who's Talking (1989) $297M |
| October 1990 27 films · −47% | 27 | $248.9M | −47% | Marked for Death (1990) $58M |
Genres & languages
Which Genres and Languages Earned the Most in October 1990?
Drama took $198.8M across 19 films, 80% of the total, ahead of Action ($111.5M) and Adventure ($98M). A film counts once for each of its genres. English-language films took $230.5M across 22 films, 93% of the total, ahead of Norwegian-language films ($15.1M) and French-language films ($2.7M).
October 1990 Box Office by Genre
-
Drama $198.8M19 films · #1 Marked for Death (1990) -
Action $111.5M8 films · #1 Marked for Death (1990) -
Adventure $98M5 films · #1 Marked for Death (1990) -
Crime $67.2M5 films · #1 Marked for Death (1990) -
Thriller $67.1M4 films · #1 Marked for Death (1990) -
Romance $58.3M6 films · #1 Quigley Down Under (1990) -
War $27.4M1 film · #1 Memphis Belle (1990) -
Biography $24.5M2 films · #1 Henry & June (1990) -
Comedy $22.1M6 films · #1 Mr. Destiny (1990) -
Western $21.4M1 film · #1 Quigley Down Under (1990)
Archive
Box Office in 1990, Month by Month
The months of 1990 with their totals: November leads with $1.3B, led by Home Alone (1990).
- January $72.7M #1 Internal Affairs (1990)
- February $172.9M #1 Hard to Kill (1990)
- March $1B #1 Pretty Woman (1990)
- April $162.8M #1 Ernest Goes to Jail (1990)
- May $457.8M #1 Back to the Future Part III (1990)
- June $870.4M #1 Total Recall (1990)
- July $1.2B #1 Ghost (1990)
- August $384.4M #1 Flatliners (1990)
- September $194.9M #1 Goodfellas (1990)
- October $248.9M #1 Marked for Death (1990)
- November $1.3B #1 Home Alone (1990)
- December $624M #1 Kindergarten Cop (1990)
FAQ
Box Office October 1990: Questions & Answers
The chart's numbers in short: the #1 film, the total, the billion-dollar hits and the US & Canada share, answered from the same 27 films as the chart.
What is the highest-grossing movie in October 1990?
Marked for Death (1990) leads with $58M worldwide, $46M of it in the US & Canada. Next come Memphis Belle (1990) at $27.4M and Henry & June (1990) at $23.5M.
How much did movies released in October 1990 earn?
27 films released in October 1990 report a worldwide gross, $248.9M in all, or $9.2M per film on average. September 1990 releases took $194.9M.
How many movies released in October 1990 made $1 billion?
None. The biggest, Marked for Death (1990), earned $58M.
How is the October 1990 box office chart ranked and where do the numbers come from?
Films are ranked by lifetime worldwide gross in US dollars, not adjusted for inflation, and grouped by their release date in October 1990. The figures are the reported box office grosses in our database. A gross that looks misattributed, such as one figure shared by two unrelated films or a blockbuster total on an obscure title, is left out rather than shown as a fact.
How often is the October 1990 box office chart updated?
Grosses change while films are in theaters and whenever a new figure is reported; this chart reads the latest numbers in our database, so an older film can still move after a re-release.